Over the next few months, we’ll be focusing on #SocialSpin — what it is, why you should care, and how you can control it.

Because - when it comes to #SocialSpin, you're playing with fire.

​We all have control over what we post online, whether that’s a single status update or an entire campaign. What we don’t have control over is how other people respond. This isn’t exclusively an online problem — it’s a problem that marketers have been facing since the beginning of marketing.

Of course, experience and market research can provide an indication as to how your audience will react, but sometimes, things just don’t go to plan. There are trolls to contend with. Hashtag hijackers. People who have completely misinterpreted your posts. And, because your posts are likely to be seen by people outside of your target audience, you’re bound to get some folk who just don’t like what you’re saying for whatever reason.

With all that, it’s not uncommon for really anything online to spin out of control - from a well thought-out campaign to an offhand reply to a tweet. And when the conversation around your brand - or your professional identity - is not going the way you planned, then you better be ready to handle the #SocialSpin. The purpose of this series is to make sure you’re equipped to deal with it, if and when it occurs.

Here’s what we’ll be looking at over the next few months (this post will be updated to serve as an index):

We’re not trying to make life any more difficult for you, so each section — and each post within that section — will be full of actionable, easy-to-implement information to either redirect that online conversation the way you want it go, or know when (and how) to cut and run.

If you have any specific questions, ask us on Twitter using the hashtag #SocialSpin, and we’ll do our best to answer them.

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